


Home Within the Thicket

by ooopo123



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Recluse Farmer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-09-13 20:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16899363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ooopo123/pseuds/ooopo123
Summary: No matter what, remember I love you.Love, Grandpa.“I’ll make you proud. I swear.”





	1. Now & Then

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side project, to be added onto whenever I feel like it.

“-And during this deep clean, you’ll be cleansing your very soul! So be sure to do it well! And on that note that’s it for the video, but before we go I’d like to tell you about today’s sponsor: Joja cola, the best soda on-” The last of the video droned on, becoming white noise to Miriam as she gazed down at the letter held gingerly in her hands. 

She would be lying if she said she didn’t remember this thing. Hard to forget an item given to her by someone who passed away almost immediately afterwards; in front of her no less. Thankfully her child mind had edited the scene accordingly, so the memory was coloured in more yellowed confusion than drowning grief. 

Even so, years between now and then had left the memory of this letter mostly untainted. Prominently the memory of her father lifting her onto his lap, to hold her close and read the letter out to her in hushed words that he knew Miriam would not understand quite yet. 

Now those words rung crystal clear through her head. 

“To my dearest grand-daughter, **  
If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. Once, I craved such a change as well. **  
My life had seemingly lost purpose; I’d lost sight of what truly matters in life… Real connections with people and the Earth. This epiphany urged me to drop everything; to move to the place I truly belong. Enclosed in the envelope is both the deed and key to that place… My pride and joy: Carvilla. **  
You remember Carvilla, don’t you Miriam? Well, from me to you is my most precious of gifts. Take it and do with it what you will.  
No matter what, remember I love you. **  
Love, Grandpa.” ************

************** ** ** **

Tears stained the page below her, blurring the ink and her vision. She hadn’t cried since the early days of beginning to work for Joja Corparation; the soul sucking urban beast that it was. She pressed the aged paper against he chest. 

“I’ll make you proud Grandpa. I swear.” 


	2. Patch of Ruins

Nature ruled in the fields of Carvilla, it thrived and encroached on every spare patch of land it could feasibly creep into; even some you’d think impossible and yet there it was, growing unhindered. Mayor Lewis had described the farm to be ‘in ruins’; Miriam struggled to agree. It was beautiful to her; perhaps that was simply her untrained eye, though. 

While the Mayor bade her to introduce herself to the townsfolk, Miriam instead found herself clearing a relatively small patch of dirt. She found herself feeling guilty undoing Mother Nature’s hard work; yet knew they had to share this land from here on in. 

And with that the first seed of new life was sown. 

\- 

“Um, hello? Anyone here?” Miriam stood up from where she had been busy filling he watering can in the river the bisected her Grandfa-… _her_ farm. A short purple haired woman stood on the cabin’s porch steps, she’d yet to spot Miriam. 

Walking over quickly drew her attention though. This strange new girl straightened up, nervously adjusting her belt as Miriam calmly advanced towards her. Perhaps she felt awkward on someone else’s property? In fact… 

“Where are you here, miss?” The girl startled at the question; Miriam hadn’t the faintest idea why. Was she too loud? Her co-works had always complained that her voice was too quiet and she needed to ‘speak up for Yoba’s sake! I can’t hear a thing you’re saying!’. 

Ah, she was probably put off by her soft tone. 

“My apologies. I didn't mean to startle you.” 

“Oh! Uh, it’s not your fault! I think… I just… Well, are you Ms Turnt? The new farmer?” 

“Yes, that would be me. Miriam Turnt, nice to meet you.” it was only now that the girl relaxed a smidgen; compared to her previously tense posture it was a vast improvement. 

“And I’m Abigail! Nice to finally meet you!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carvilla, the farm's name, is actually the slightly altered name of my local cemetery, Carr Villa. A beautiful place, truly.


	3. Curious Atrocities

“So, yeah. I just got curious, you know? Dad’s been talking to me and Mum about the new farmer, but neither of us had actually seen you! Everyone who’s not the Mayor says the same! Sebastion and Sam have even been saying you’re probably some eldritch abomination planning Stardew Valley’s destruction!” Abigail exclaimed, watching Miriam tidy up around the little cabin she’d inherited. “Um… You’re not, right?” 

Chuckling, Miriam finished arranging her trophies from her forays into the mines on her proudly self-made shelves; various gems and minerals glinted back at her in the dim light. “If I were I certainly wouldn’t tell you, would I?” While her guest stopped to consider that, Miriam moved onto tying up the stems of various flowers she’d found around Pelican Town with rubber-bands in order to string them up around her home. 

“Well.” Abigail began, taking the offered Daffodils and beginning to position them to be press-dried in a nearby phone-book. “Maybe you’re not here to eat us or anything, maybe your just curious? Like, you’d tell me you’re an eldritch horror cause you want to see my reaction?” Humming, Miriam wrapped string around the rubber bands; tying it up into a big droopy bow. 

“I am curious, you’re not wrong.” She conceded, pushing a leftover dandelion towards Abigail. “You see, I’m from Zuzu City and haven’t left in years. If you’d consider these eldritch horrors to be aliens of some sort, then I suppose in some way I am.” 

Abigail stared at her, letting out a quiet _‘huh’_ , all the while gently placing the dandelion into the very middle of the phone-book. They sat in near silence for a while, leisurely starting the process to dry the various flowers scattered across the small hand-made table. 

“What if I show you?” 

“Hmm?” 

“I mean, I can introduce you to my friends and the other people in town and about the valley or something if you want. Or we can just hangout. I don’t mind. Maybe you can tell me about city life as well?” Miriam tied off the string for her current flower bundle, holding it by the bow as she thought that over. 

“That would be lovely Abigail.” She watched as Abigail started to grin, slamming the book closed on her last flower. 

“Cool! I totally have to introduce you to Seb and Sam tomorrow! They’ll think you’re so cool! Maru probably will too! And we can see if Penny isn’t busy so she can see you too; same with Haley and Alex, even if I don’t really like them. Maybe even-!” 

Even as Abigail kept on talking, Miriam continued to calmly bunch up flowers until they were all used up; nodding periodically to indicate that she was indeed still listening. And she was, even if most, if not all, the names mentioned were completely unfamiliar to her. 

“So, I’ll come back and pick you up at 10 tomorrow morning?” 

“That sounds perfect Abigail.” 


	4. Coffee Seeds

Miriam was found by her visitor early the next morning; just because it wasn’t who she expected didn’t dampen the pleasure of it.

Awkwardly, someone behind her cleared their voice; interrupting Miriam as she tended to the little starter garden of parsnips she’d started to the side of her house. Standing just footsteps from the corner of her home stood a shabby looking man, lugging a bag of unknown oddities in his hand.

“Uh.” Eloquently, the man started to speak only to have his voice catch on his tongue. “My aunt wanted me to give you some things… And to say ‘hey’.” Really, the fellow seemed quite out of his element.

Standing, Miriam brushed off the dirt on her jeans; of which a large amount of it still remained after her efforts. She strolled over and past the man, beckoning for him to follow with a smile; hesitantly, and grumbling, he did as told.  
In silence, Miriam started to make a batch of coffee for her guest. He seemed like a coffee person. And just as awkwardly as when she’d first caught sight of him, the man stood in the middle of her kitchen, not quite sure what to do. (He quickly made his mind up to sit when she’d thrown a particularly bemused glance his way.)

“So, I suppose you live her in the valley?” She asked, leaving the coffee black; again, he simply looked like one who’d like his coffee blank. If he drunk tea he’d most likely drink it with out any honey or other additives. The monster.

Her visitor shot her a scathing look as she giggled quietly to herself, annoyed and unsure if he was being made fun of.  
“Yeah.” He relented, accepting the offer drink gratefully; he held it as if its contents were water from the fountain of youth. “I live with Marine, the ranch owner.” Miriam stirred sugar into her cup.

“Can’t say I’ve met her, unfortunately.” Miriam replied. Sipping on her drink slowly.

“She’s a nice enough woman, lets me live with her and rent’s fairly cheap.” He put down his mug regretfully; Miriam saw that he’d already finished off the last of his drink. She’d barely gotten a third of the way through her own. 

“A friends and family discount, I presume?” 

“Yeah, she’s the aunt I mentioned.” He cracked his neck and arms as he straightened up. “The stuff’s from her.”

Curiously, Miriam finally brought out the items from within the bag; revealing them to be various seed packets and eggs.  
“Thank dear Marnie in my stead, won’t you? It was lovely of her to think of me.” He shot her a thumbs up, silent as she rifled through the seeds.

“Just between you and me,” The scruffy looking man piped up, “I’m fairly sure she’d only giving you those seeds ‘cause their from her failed gardening phase.”

Neither of them were prepared for the barking laughter that followed that confession.


End file.
